SMILE

SUSS MicroTec Imprint Lithography Equipment (SMILE) is the tool of choice for imprint replication of 3D structures on up to 200 mm diameter areas with micrometer to millimeter sized structures. SMILE uses soft stamps to perform either an imprint process into a puddle dispensed polymer or a transfer process of material which was previously micro-dispensed into individual micromolds. In both cases the material is typically crosslinked by UV exposure after pattern shaping. Typical applications of SMILE are the replication of microlenses for Wafer-Level-Cameras (WLC) or the production of resist structures for LIGA.

In order to provide a full area conformal pattern transfer, the machine is equipped with a high accuracy wedge error correction (WEC) system. Depending on process needs (i.e. when applying large forces) this WEC system can even provide a closed loop control of the actual wedge in the system.